


My Soul Forevermore

by HkHk



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-17
Updated: 2014-10-20
Packaged: 2018-02-21 12:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2468174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HkHk/pseuds/HkHk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The mass effect universe with a single twist, the existence of Daemons.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Dust to Dust](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2184387) by [Pavuvu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pavuvu/pseuds/Pavuvu). 



Ever since the First Contact war, humanity had a long standing grudge against the turian military. It wasn't because the turians decided to attack them for fiddling with a relay. No, it was for a much simpler reason. 

It all started with a prisoner, a human male who was clutching a small furry creature close to his chest. One of the soldiers grabbed it roughly and in the process killed it. The turian had stared at his empty hands, at the golden dust that littered his fingers and then at the dead human. It was an accident. No one had really understood the connection between the humans and their "daemons". 

The idea was preposterous, souls outside of the body? Spirits given form, representing the owner, intertwined on such a level that any harm done to one would hurt the other. It took a few experiments, gut wrenching tasks that opened a new avenue in the war. Why take shots at shielded soldiers, when you can just kill their companion? The orders came down and like good little turians, they obeyed. It is something to see, watching through a scope, squeezing off the shot and watching your target turn into a mist of gold. 

The humans didn't care much for turians after the war. They regarded the asari and salarians with the same sort of suspicion. Their entrance into the larger galaxy community was slow and fraught with danger. Some humans couldn't leave Earth, their daemons were far too large and the price of a ticket too much. Some immediately went off to space, to colonize new worlds and to discover new cultures. As frightening as these non-daemon species were, they could not be all...souless. Although there was a popular opinion that the turians were hollow inside.

Interestingly enough, the asari were the quickest to embrace humanity. The daemons were a subject of interest. How curious it was, to have a companion besides you for the entirety of your life. What sort of gene must be there to facilitate such a thing? There were some highly curious maidens who pondered if they could create a child that would have a life long companion. No matter what, they would never be alone. They would have a friend, someone they could talk to, someone they could trust for their very long lives. 

As for the turians, there were still reparations to be done. Their species were painted as cruel and cold like, resembling a mixture of a bird and a reptile. It actually surprised Garrus that Shepard even let him on her ship. He half expected her to reject him. But the human looked at him and said," Welcome aboard Mr. Vakarian." 

The small furry creature situated on the counter gazed at him with those sharp intelligent eyes. A small almost imperceptible shield flickered over the creature. It stretched, displaying claws before speaking disdainfully. "As if we need another bird, we already have Joker and Emma."


	2. How it is Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daemons. Blah. Aliens. Blah.

Due to certain restrictions with aircraft designs, it had already been institutionalized that some people have no luck. Once your daemon picks a form, you're stuck as to where you are to go. Some didn't mind, they loved Earth. They loved home. Not everyone wanted to go to the stars. So the people who daemons who couldn't be hauled into a truck even if they tried, remained on Earth. There were specially made crafts for those who really wanted to go to the stars, but it cost money. Sometimes it was the simpler pleasures in life that meant everything. The smell of salt in the air, the view of plains that go on for miles. The feel of the warm sun on one's skin, the soft caresses of a gentle moving wind. 

Some things weren't worth leaving Earth for. Not for the coldness of space, new diseases, alien species and all sorts of dangers that the universe could provide in abundance. 

Shepard stood in the CIC, her daemon perched on one of the specially made spaces, viewing everything with an imperial eye. Around her, the crew bustled about, an assortment of daemons perched on various footholds or on their human's shoulders. While it was a hard decision, banning the aliens from the CIC was a good choice. It was the only way to ensure that there wouldn't be any unfortunate mishaps. Shepard liked the aliens, really, she did but they all didn't know what to do when faced with Shepard's furred companion. 

Actually, Wrex had the only real response which was to inquire if it was a meal. 

Tali had just stared. The concept of pets was probably very foreign to the ship born quarian. There would have been literally no room for an extra environmental suit, especially one that couldn't fix the ship and needed constant care. Just like babies, but those little parasites actually tend to grow up to be useful. Usually. From what Tali was willing to share, some quarians don't ever rejoin the Migrant fleet. 

And Garrus? 

Garrus was hesitant to approach any of them. Human or daemon. He looked to be caught in between extreme politeness and curiosity. At least he didn't dismiss the daemons immediately, like some turians Shepard had met before. Like most aliens, he had looked to the human first then to the daemon, as if to remember that humans came in pairs. It wasn't a terrible thing. Humans tend to not advertise their daemon too publicly, the people who matter will know the truth and the people who don't, won't. There was no insult. Whether or not the daemon took offense, was really up to each individual daemon. 

Kali was amused. Affronted but amused. 

The daemon's tail flicked from side to side as she watched the humans scuttle about. Emma sat on a platform next to her, flat on her belly. The magellanic penquin sighed unhappily, fishing out a piece of squid to eat from her container. 

"Fattening yourself up?" Kali asked, turning her to head to look at Emma. "Might as well rub yourself with butter and set the fryer on. Although I expect the krogan may eat you raw." 

Emma glared at her balefully.


	3. Tali's first experience with things that are furry and can talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali meets daemons. Daemons meet Tali.

Tali's initial response to Shepard and Kaidan's daemons were confusion. Of course the quarian had heard of them, rumors and extranet pages. Being on her pilgrimage she never actually interacted with them on a personal level. Most of the citadel species wouldn't look at a quarian or save them when they're in danger. But Shepard was different. 

"What is that?" Tali asked, staring at the furry creature perched on Shepard's armored shoulder. Her hand reached up to touch the creature. 

The creature fixated two golden eyes at her and hissed. "What are you looking at, suit rat?" 

An even more uncomfortable silence that fell over the group. 

It was not the best start.

Later, after she had been invited to join the group to chase Saren down, Shepard found Tali in the engineering room. Despite Tali's initial blunder, the engineering team had accepted Tali's presence, mostly her magnificent brain. Kali padded behind her, and with one jump, stood on Shepard's shoulder, and scowled. 

"Shepard!" 

"Hey, Tali. How are you? I know this isn't anything like home but I hope you're settling in." 

"It's very nice." Tali's eyes glanced over to Kali. "Um..I want to apologize for what I said and my actions. I looked up daemons and--" 

Shepard raised a hand. "It's fine, Tali. Kali has something to say." 

Kali pulled herself into her full height, paws in front of her body. "I apologize for calling you a suit rat. It was wrong of me. I was rude to you. You didn't deserve the name calling."

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have tried to touch you."

"That's fine, you wouldn't have gotten close." 

Shepard glanced between Tali and Kali. Proverbial claws were being stretched out. "...I should go.."

She practically fled the room, going to the common area, thankfully empty, and dumped Kali onto the table. Her daemon looked properly affronted and ashamed. Shepard pulled out a chair, and sat down. "You know, we did talk about this." 

Kali's ears were flat against her skull, her gaze everywhere else but Shepard. "I did apologize." She grumbled. 

"Kali."

"Shepard."

Human and daemon met eyes and stared. Kali broke eye contact, pawing the table. "I'm going to hang out with Jake." 

By "hang out" she meant putting Jake in his hamster ball and rolling him across the deck. Shepard rubbed her face with her hand. "Ask Alenko first."


End file.
